LECTURE 4: TEAMS

Question 1

What is a team?

Answer 1

Two or more individuals who:

• socially interact
  -possess a common goal(s)
  -brought together to perform organizationally relevant tasks
  -exhibit interdependencies w/ respect to work flow & goals
• have different roles & responsibilities

Question 2

Why do orgs use teams?

Answer 2

1. higher org performance
2. higher job satisfaction, empowerment
3. better decision making
4. potential for greater productivity

Question 3

How can groups contribute to process losses?

Answer 3

Actual performance = potential performance - process losses

• process losses are performance difficulties that stem from problems of motivating & coordinating larger groups
• problems of communication & decision making increase w/ size
• bigger groups, more process losses

Question 4

What is the relationship between group size, productivity, & process losses?

Answer 4

• As group size increases, product loss increases,
• as group size increases, productivity increases, peaks at 3-5 members, and decreases as groups increases
• depends on type of work

Question 5

What are the implications of process loss?

Answer 5

• only use teams when needed: complex tasks, multiple perspectives
• keep group size to a minimum
• need to manage group communication/coordination
• need to motivate individual performance
• make individual contributions visible & necessary

Question 6

Explain the input-process-outcome model

Answer 6

• Group inputs - size of teams, task, diversity in the teams
• individual & organizational
• Group Processes: coordination, conflict & management
• Group Outcome - performance; attitudes of group members
  ○ Viability - can this team continue to work together?

Question 7

What is conflict?

Answer 7

when on party or a group of individuals perceives its goals, values, or opinions being thwarted by an interdependent counterpart

• stems from differences in beliefs, attitudes, values, competition for resources (time, status, power, budget)

Question 8

What are two types of group conflict?

Answer 8

Relationship Conflict - disagreements about personal issues

Task Conflict - disagreements about how to do a task tight

Question 9

What are the consequences of relationship conflict?

Answer 9

• More relationship conflict associated with lower team satisfaction & group performance

Question 10

What are the consequences of task conflict?

Answer 10

• More task conflict = lower team satisfaction & group performance
• More task conflict = more relationship conflict (affects group performance)

Question 11

How can we break the negative outcomes of conflict?

Answer 11

Conflict management - manner in which team members proactively & reactively deal w/ conflict

Question 12

What are examples of proactive & reactive conflict management?

Answer 12

1. Set Cooperative goals - values own & others interests, opinions, etc.

• open minded debate, discusses differences, seek solutions that benefit everyone
• drive to learn

2. Competitive goals - seeing opposing goals & interets

• want the advantage, derogate others opinions

-driven to perform

Question 13

What is constructive criticism?

Answer 13

-learn about others perspectives & incorporates them

-exchange arguments to critically evaluate them

-shape ideas through open debate

Implications:
- time consuming & emotionally draining
-need to counteract w/ positive team affect

Question 14

What are the positive effects of task conflict on decision making & innovation?

Answer 14

Only effective when:

• people have cooperative orientations
• no relationship conflict

-task conflict is moderate

-strong trust & sense of safety within the group

• most members didn’t have the correct solution before discussion